I was really looking forward to this having been a big fan of the previous 3 films.
I'm sorry to say however that I was very disappointed by this poor addition to the series. The action was fine but with no credible story and a continuity so full of holes it seemed as if any story was just a poor attempt to link together one implausable action sequance to the next.
The question has been raised if this is a bridge to a new series of films with Indiana's son picking up the lead. I hope not and it really is time to put this to sleep and come up with something new.
Went to see this today, so I'll give a quick review.
It's a real mixed bag, this one. Parts of it are good, if not brilliant. As an example, Harrison Ford is still believable as Indy, and some of the earlier stunts are good. Shila LeBouef is tidy enough, without being excepitonal or that likeable. There are also a couple of jokes that really hit the spot.
However, some parts of this film are laughable, so much so that, at points, It almost feels like a scary movie version of Indiana Jones. Just to give a little taster, without trying to spoil the plot too much, Indy is caught in a nuclear bomb testing ground. He has ten seconds to find a way out of this life and death situation. You're sitting there, it's only ten minutes into the film, and you're thinking, 'nuclear bomb, huh? That's interesting. How's he get out of this one?' No need to worry, George and Steven have the answer. A fridge. No, seriously. Not only that, but Indy comes out of a point blank nuclear blast unharmed.
The next big point concerns the alien/sci-fi theme that runs through the movie. It just doesn't feel right, at all. Not only that, but it isn't even done well. It feels, deseprate. (The aliens look like E.T., by the way) Finally, there is the ending. Well, there is no real ending, apart from the literal end, IMO, of Indiana Jones as a credible charcter. There is a reason James bond didn't stay married.
As a part of the Indiana Jones arc, this is an incredibly poor and dissapointing film. Taken into context as a seperate film, it is average. I would rate it on a similar level to the mummy and national treasure, on around the 5-6/10 scale.
Real indy fans be warned, this film, like Die Hard 4, Spiderman 3 and the Matrix sequels, will serilously cheapen your appreciation of the original films.
I went with my dad to see this on sunday. I prob agree with most of what Dan M said. Unlike 1 and 3, the fourth film gets straight into the main plot. It feels like they are ticking boxes - hmm, what do we need to make this an IJ film - oh I know, a silhouette of indy putting on his hat. The whole nuclear bomb scene was funny but as Dan says - somewhat hard to swallow,
They make a few brief references to characters from previous films like his dad and Brody (but no reference to Sallah!).
The aliens aspect did seem a bit...odd. Didn't feel like it fitted in with previous films. Also was a bit pathetic how little time the hordes of Native Indians got on screen.
Shia le boeuf was likeable enough, did the whole young adult trying to appear tough routine. I did find the scenes of an elderly Indy fighting soviet soldiers a tad unrealistic (more so than the aliens scenes!).
As for the ending, I didn't mind - it's the last one presumably, he deserves a bit of happiness :)
What the hell was going on with the cameos - Janitor from scrubs?! Oh and Alan Dale - how the hell has he gone from being Jim in Neighbours to being the chief alien in X files, a millionaire in OC, a millionaire in Lost and now in films like this?!
Bit too much going by the numbers, in the end - 6/10
I went with my dad to see this on sunday. I prob agree with most of what Dan M said. Unlike 1 and 3, the fourth film gets straight into the main plot. It feels like they are ticking boxes - hmm, what do we need to make this an IJ film - oh I know, a silhouette of indy putting on his hat. The whole nuclear bomb scene was funny but as Dan says - somewhat hard to swallow,
They make a few brief references to characters from previous films like his dad and Brody (but no reference to Sallah!).
The aliens aspect did seem a bit...odd. Didn't feel like it fitted in with previous films. Also was a bit pathetic how little time the hordes of Native Indians got on screen.
Shia le boeuf was likeable enough, did the whole young adult trying to appear tough routine. I did find the scenes of an elderly Indy fighting soviet soldiers a tad unrealistic (more so than the aliens scenes!).
As for the ending, I didn't mind - it's the last one presumably, he deserves a bit of happiness :)
What the hell was going on with the cameos - Janitor from scrubs?! Oh and Alan Dale - how the hell has he gone from being Jim in Neighbours to being the chief alien in X files, a millionaire in OC, a millionaire in Lost and now in films like this?!
Bit too much going by the numbers, in the end - 6/10
I pretty much agree with this. Some of the actions sequences were good if not a little (ok a lot) unbelievable. How many times can Indy and others get hit in the fac without having a mark too!
...and the aliens plot was silly, didn't work at all imo.
2 stars for me. Harrison Ford wasn't bad actually as indy, but as Phoenix says, him fighting with the soldiers and kicking their asses didn't seem realistic.
